tobie makes contact

what an absolutely fabulous day!! I went down to the city core, the sunny was shining and people were everywhere. I found all the used clothing shops, which I realize you have to be rich to afford, because its not used clothing its "vintage" but then I found this one shop that is called enabling ireland . . . everything in that shop is around 2 or 3 euro and proceeds go to a disabilty childrens fund . . . I then found a few hemp shops and bought some Nag Champa insense, I burned my last one the night before. I then found this great place that shows film festivle movies, many of the movies they show are not rated so you have to have a membership to see them. Somehow with the memebership they can get around rules of a theater. Tonight they were playing swimming pool, which I was planning on seeing but better things came along. Right behind the film house, is a market, which is there every saturday, they have great prices on wonderful fresh food. I felt in heaven. Not to mention I found a health food store that has, soy milk, tvp, veggie burgers, vegan cream cheese, butter, ice cream and more!!! I really didn't know how much better it all coudl get. Every cool street that I turned on to was a pedistrian street, I was then in the shop called eaver beaver when a girl came up to me adn said she say me at the bjork concert last week, she was sitting behind me and recongized my hair - such a small world. While I was in eager beaver I asked where the central bank was, the location of the protest. Well it was right next to where we were.

Teh protest was small about 70 people came out, it was in connection to the WTO meeting that was happening in mexico. It was basically agianst coca-cola. I talked to a few guys before the speachs which turned out to be the best move I made. BUT before everything got started I was just sitting there when theis super cute queer girl walked by, piercings and everything. We mad e eye contact a few times, and her and her friend stopped, I assumed they were stopping for the protest but actually she was jsut getting up the nerve to come over. About a min later she walked over and said hi, she is from New York and just got here a few weeks ago, she is taking film school. We exchanged emails and are getting together this Thursday for the openign night of that girl club.

She walked off with her friend and the speaches started, they were actually really good, not to acidemic or abstract, they were talking about real people in real situations. Many people rihgt now are getting kickec out of Ireland, people who have children who were born here, there children get irish citizenship but they are not able to. When you get notice that you are kicked out you have 15 days to make an appeal or leave. Teh added problem is there is no probono work for this immigrant situations. And another kick in the pants is many pwople got there notices this summer while the buildings to make appeals was on vacation.

After a wonderful women talked about that, this guy rory talked aobut mexico and coca-cola. After he was done there was a WTO soccer game. Teh rich against everyone else. The reff was the WTO, the poor took over adn ambussed the reff and the poor won the game. It was brillant. After the game they planned a march to the head corters or coca-cola . . . which I was asked to hold the front banner with this interesting guy from nigeria. The cops acutally cleared the streats for us and we followed them through the streets of dublin chanting anti-capitalist chants. It was great fun. I met this guy Joe is in my program. Plus I met a bunch of queer activist. After the march we headed to a pub which is a lefty pub full of great art work and bohemian types. The tables and stoles are supper low as if they were waiting for hobbits to walk in. We took our pints and stoles on to the street and chatted for hours.

I was invited to a party afterwards, but I was having sensory overload, I had spent 6 hours with these people already and was loving every moment, I didn't want fatique to ruin it . . .

check out www.freewebs.com/globalise, they will have pictures up later of the protest!!


There is a huge protest happening in paris in a few months, its the soical european forum, it think I might go, it will be a great excuse to be in paris . . . but I have to book soon, to get cheap fares.